Major Graduation

Ticketing

Once you receive your invitation, you'll be asked to RSVP and this process will include the purchase of your graduand ticket. You can also purchase additional tickets for friends and family, you will find more information on additional ticketing when you receive your personal invitation.  

Photography

Event photography is available and you'll see photographers taking photos of the pre-ceremony atmosphere, the ceremony itself and the celebration afterwards. These photos will be made available to you after the ceremony date. Additional professional photographers will be available on the night of your ceremony to take set graduation photographs of yourself, your friends and your fellow graduands. Please note that these photos are not included in the graduation fee.
Our set photographer will have an empty cylinder to use as a prop for photographs so that they can be taken before the ceremony.

Ceremony

You will need to arrive early to register, collect and dress in your graduation gown and also participate in your ceremony run-through. Please allow at least four hours for the whole event while guests are typically invited for the ceremony only. All details regarding arrival times and duration will be in your information pack that is made available to you before your ceremony. The official graduation ceremony takes approximately two hours.

Cylinders

When you walk across the stage to be awarded your qualification and congratulated by an executive of your school, you will receive a ceremonial cylinder which is yours to keep. The cylinder is for ceremonial purposes only and will not have your testamur inside. All eligible students will receive their testamur via My eQuals.
If you have any questions regarding your testamur, please submit your enquiry via the Student Request Form.

All eligible students for the 2025 Graduation ceremonies will have completed their study between March 2024 and February 2025 in courses from a Certificate IV or above.

Please note that there will be exceptions where lower qualification level students will be invited.  These will be students who are successful in winning one of the 2025 Outstanding Student of the Year awards in special categories.

All eligible students who have completed their studies between March 2024 and February 2024 in courses from a Certificate IV or above will typically receive their invitations to their Graduation ceremony in March 2025.

International students who are looking to invite friends or family from overseas, or extend their own visa so that they can attend their ceremony, should check with their visa contact or the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to see what information they require to apply for necessary visas.

If you require a letter of invitation to your Graduation ceremony, please contact our International Office – international@melbournepolytechnic.edu.au

All eligible students will receive their testamur via My eQuals.

If you have any questions regarding your testamur, please submit your enquiry via the Student Request Form.

To update your personal details please submit your enquiry via the Student Request Form.

Melbourne Polytechnic has a long history of following the University of Cambridge academic dress graduation code. Every qualification which is awarded has its own distinct academic dress code in addition to having its own hood or stole which follows the colours of the academic department the graduand belongs to.

Certificate IV

If you are graduating from a certificate IV, you will wear a black academic gown. The black gown is worn over formal clothes with the front of your outfit visible.

Diploma and Advanced Diploma

If you are graduating from a diploma or an advanced diploma, you will wear a black academic gown and a stole of your academic department colour. The black gown is worn over formal clothes with the front of your outfit visible and the stole is placed over your shoulders with the two long panels falling over your chest. One side of the stole is twisted to show the black underside while the coloured panel that remains flat faces the audience when crossing the stage.

Bachelor Degree

If you're graduating from a bachelor degree, you will wear a black academic gown and a hood of your academic department colour. The black gown is worn over formal clothes with the front of your outfit being seen and the hood is placed over your shoulders with the hood falling over your back. The hood is hooked onto your shirt button or pinned to a blouse or dress at your chest to secure it from the front.

Master Degree

If you are graduating from a master degree,  you will wear a black academic gown and a white striped hood of your  academic department colour. The black gown is worn over formal clothes with the front of your outfit visible, the hood is placed over your shoulders with the hood falling over your back. The hood is hooked onto your shirt button or pinned to a blouse or dress at the chest to secure it from the front. You will also wear a black mortarboard which will have tassels placed on the right of the mortarboard and moved to the left upon receipt of your qualification.

Gown sizes

Our black academic gowns are stocked in the following sizes: 

Academic Colours

These awards are presented at our Major Graduation ceremonies. They are available to Melbourne Polytechnic students who have demonstrated a capacity for leadership and demonstrated outstanding levels of skill and commitment within their fields of study. 

Students are judged on:

1. Career and study achievements in their field of study
2. Communication, team and leadership skills and
3. Ability to represent the training system at a broader level

Get to know our Outstanding Student of the Year Award winners for 2024!